San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-01-31
A BAD RAILROAD BILL.

The recent bill introduced before the
Texas legislature, calling for board OF
railroad commissioners, TO license all
railroad conductors and engineers In
the state and imposing a fine upon all
not thus licensed, IL meeting with In
tense opposition on the part Of the rail-
road men, particularly the engineers,
6remen and brakemen. The LIGHT has
had its atIent on specially called to this
matter In communication, too lengthy
for publication, in which the injustice
and impracticsbility Of the attempted
legislation Is get forth. The objections
TO the bill, on the part OF the railroad
engineers, fremen and brakemen. are
first, its injustice; second, its imprac-
ticsbility; third, its effectiveness 10 not
providing against certain evils more
serious than lncOmpstency Of railway
employees. The injustice OF the bill, of
which il is proposed TO make law, lies
In the closing up Of all avenues of pro-
motion, which is now the strongest In
centive 10 faithful service on the part OF
railway employees. The firemen are
literally the servants Of the engineers,
whose places in time they hope to be
able to fill. Firing on an engine Is
vigorous apprenticeship to the trade of
locomotive engineer, and it's hardships
and disabilities would not be endured
we're ii not that the hope Of promotion
lies before the fireman his the end OF his
well-earDed services. The act proposed
to the state legislature would have
board Of examiners step in and examine
the applicant for promotion, according
to a certain established code or formula,
which may or may not have reference to
his practical fitness for the position de-
sired by him. His two, three or four
years. running on an engine as fireman,
occasionally In charge, taking the en-
CINE in and out OF yard, will demon
strate his fitness to trained railway Of
fetal as no board Of examination can,
and will leave him free to be accepted
or rejected upon the results OF actual
merits as tested by his daily service
through a series of years. The same Is
true Of the brakeman in his relation to
the position Of conductor, to which he
aspires.
The Impractioability Of the bill lies in
the fact that no commission can be
found competent to examine for posi-
lions unless IL be thoroughly informed
of the different codes Of signals and all
the technical differences that distinguish
one railway line from another. The
system would be everything in such an
examination, the practical fitness moth
ing. The bill provides that before
any man shall be licensed as an en-
gineer he shall be carefully examined
as to his knowledge Of railroad steam
machinery and mis- experience as a rail
road engineer" He is liable to a fine
of 500 If he run an engine without
license, and yet is to have experience
before be can secure license. The in
cOngrulty is too glaring to need com
ment. He must also be examined, as
conductor, concerning his knowledge of
time cards and right OF trains ETC. The
commissioners would need special in
sIruction in every railway system In
Texas before they could examine under
this section of the act, and then they
could not do it.
The defects in the bill are that Ii
makes no provisions for the examina-
tion of train dispatchers, or the super
vision and examination of telegraph
operators, through whose mistaken read
ing of messages or careIessness in deliv-
ering them, nine-tenEhs of all railway
accidents, for which employees are re-
sponsible, occur. The general impress
sion among railway men is that this bill
is presented in the interests of incompe-
tent conductors, who have axes to
grind, and that it would be a serious
evil to the railway interests of the state
to have it enacted into law. The mem-
bers of the twentieth legislature are ur-
gently requested to act very carefully
In the premises and not consent to so
great an injustice as this bill would
work out.